


Satisfying Adjustment

by deathbyfiringsquad (orphan_account)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 11:23:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20446343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/deathbyfiringsquad
Summary: "Well," Zuko drew it out, "depends on what this favor is." He stared at Sokka with a curious look, clearly hesitant and incredibly cautious. "Is it… weird?""No! I mean, it's not weird," he paused, "I think."Zuko raised his brows and leaned away."As in!" Sokka sputtered, "Can you duel with me? For practice?"





	Satisfying Adjustment

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Author here, and this is my first drabble for A:tLA! I hope you all enjoy. This idea came to me when I was at a park with my friend and we were talking for hours about it lol.
> 
> Disclaimer: I was half awake when I wrote this, so please forgive the errors!

Time was running out and, in all fairness, it was only a matter of time until it had happened.

Sokka knew he had been slipping after training with Master Piandao, never being able to spar with anyone or work on his defense. Sword fighting was, in its own right, a form that was on a different level than bending, which was why he knew he could never ask Katara or Toph or even Aang to spar with him; it just wouldn't be the same. He could jab and swing his blade for hours, but he knew that it was pointless. What good could come out of swiping his sword if he failed to block or dodge correctly? It ate at him day in and day out, until he came to the conclusion that there was nothing else he could do. Except...

"Hey Zuko." Sokka began, walking up to the firebender cleaning his dual blades. The warm steel glinted as Zuko finished polishing the one of the blunt edges, the light reflecting all over the Western Air Temple.

"Afternoon." Zuko responded back, not bothering to look up. Zuko was proving himself to be an asset to the group in Sokka's eyes and it seemed to him that there would be no reason not to ask Zuko for a small favor.

Zuko switched his blades and continued to clean the metal with a scrap of fabric as Sokka continued.

"I came to ask for a favor, if that's alright with you." The scrubbing stilled for a second before proceeding once more.

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Zuko's face as he looked up at Sokka, wiping it away with the short sleeve of his tunic.

"Well," Zuko drew it out, "depends on what this _favor_ is." He stared at Sokka with a curious look, clearly hesitant and incredibly cautious. "Is it… weird?"

"No! I mean, it's not weird," he paused, "I think."

Zuko raised his brows and leaned away.

"As in!" Sokka sputtered, "Can you duel with me? For practice?" He pulled out his sword from its guard and gestured to it with his eyes.

Zuko visibly relaxed at this and looked down at his own blades.

"I heard that you trained with a Sword master when you were in the Fire Nation." Zuko went back to polishing his blades, but going slower than his usual speed. "Why do you need me to duel with you?"

Sokka grumbled and deflated.

"Because! It's been a while, okay? And I'm genuinely concerned that I'm starting to forget or become rusty at it." He didn't mean to raise his tone, but he was tense. Millions of scenarios filled his head, all dealing with the consequences of himself not having had enough practice or having forgotten Master Piandao's teachings.

"I mean, I'll definitely duel with you, but I was just wondering why." Zuko put the cloth away, wiping away another bead or two of sweat off his forehead.

A grin spread wide across Sokka's face as Zuko got up from his seat and headed over to the clearing where he and Aang would normally do firebending exercises.

"Come on, we haven't got all day." Zuko grunted out. He limbered up as he approached a long forgotten staff stand in the back corner of the training area. Grabbing a couple, he broke them both in half, tossing one to Sokka and keeping two for himself.

Sokka barely managed to catch the meter-long dowel with the sun shining in his eyes.

"What is this for?"

"I'm not gonna duel you with actual blades, Sokka." Zuko spoke around a silk ribbon between his teeth as he gathered his hair up into an orderly tail. "What if we accidently hurt each other? I can't have that on my conscience."

Sokka murmured a word of acknowledgement as Zuko finished tying up his hair and quickly shucked off his shirt. Sokka followed in suit, placing his top off to the side, and relaxed his shoulders, focusing on Zuko's stance and grip.

He could see that Zuko was going for a more agile approach, clearly favoring speed and swiftness over powerful or fatal blows. Zuko's stance was lower to the ground and forward-leaning, a sign of-

Pain shot up Sokka's leg and the impact reverberated in his bones.

"What was that? Why did you just smack me?" Sokka yelled, flailing the wooden stick about.

Zuko chuckled, smirking as he spun the sticks in his hands, juggling them in the air and catching them behind his back.

"You were sizing me up. That makes you slow."

Sokka grunted, flexing the muscles in his leg a few times before settling into his stance again.

"Well, warn me next time."

"On the field, there's rarely a 'next time'." Sokka could hear the seriousness in his tone.

Zuko dropped into a modified pose the second time around, one that was reminiscent of waterbending form Sokka had seen Katara do a million times with Aang.

A loud thwack echoed through the area as Zuko slammed into Sokka, the makeshift duel swords clattering together before Zuko swiped a stick around and stopped it centimeters from Sokka's face. Sokka could see the flecks of reddish-brown in Zuko's eyes and the perspiration forming on his forehead from this angle.

"Two- zero." Zuko retracted the dowel and stepped back.

"How are you doing that?" Sokka asked.

"It's a mental game you play, when you fight with swords. You can't analyze the opponent each time, because you don't have time." Zuko went back to spinning his practice swords as he continued to speak. "You have to trust that you are a better swordsman than the person you are fighting. Confidence in personal skill shows on the battlefield, and not having the will to make the first move or, at least, evade properly will signal your defeat."

Sokka let these words soak into his person.

He took a deep breath and stood resolutely on the ground, feeling his body extend to the tip of the dowel.

Zuko grinned, sliding back into a dueling position, sticks at the ready.

Sokka attacked with force, letting the impact of the broken staffs echo out under the cliffside.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was far below the horizon, but it had failed to take away any of the heat of the day. Humid, warm air clung to Sokka's lungs as he heaved from his position sitting by the wall, his dowel far off to the side and abandoned.

"My arms feel like blasting jelly and I think you bruised my entire left leg." Sokka huffed, letting his sweat drip down his back.

"Listen, you got me across my shoulder blades so hard, I thought the wood was going to splinter."

"Yeah but… it was a good hit."

"I mean, I guess."

"Definitely better than when you jabbed me in the stomach the second time."

"Wait, how did that one go?"

They were both silent before breaking out into loud laughs, gripping their sides mostly due to the pain, but gripping their sides nonetheless.

"What's going on you guys?" Katara's voice rang over the laughter, bring along with it another set of footsteps.

"You guys look so sweaty." Aang commented, making a 'bleh' face as he feigned smelling a strong odour. "And desperately need a shower."

"Don't worry," Sokka smiled at Aang, "we'll clean up before dinner."

Katara took on her motherly pose as she leaned over both boys and glared.

"Food is going to be done shortly, so clean up quick."

Aang and Katara went back the way they came, leaving the two sword fighters alone. Zuko spoke first.

"Come on, let's get cleaned up, before your sister comes back and dumps water all over us." Zuko stood, extending a hand towards Sokka, who gripped it tightly and hoisted himself up.

Zuko's hand was warm, slotting itself into Sokka's own calloused one as he straightened himself up. Sokka felt his mouth start to go dry.

"Hey uhh, Zuko?" he swallowed as Zuko walked to where his shirt was, giving Sokka a full view of Zuko's back.

"Yeah?"

"Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Oh, umm," Zuko stopped and smiled for a second before walking back to Sokka with his shirt in hand, "the Fire Lord was adamant on making sure his son knew how to fight, because I wasn't a good firebender when I was really young." Zuko shrugged, untying the ribbon from his hair.

"But I'm glad he made me learn. That's one of the things I can actually thank my father for. Willingly."

Sokka pressed his lips into a thin line.

"It's alright though, since I was able to be of service to you." Zuko smiled.

_Oh_.

Sokka felt Zuko put his arm over his shoulders as he started to walk towards the fresh water to bathe. He couldn't focus on the words coming out of Zuko's mouth if he tried. It was only the warm weight over his shoulders and the thought of holding his hand again that flooded his thoughts.

Zuko could feel Sokka heat up under his touch. He hoped Sokka wasn't getting sick.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked it, please leave a kudos or a comment below! And feel free to tell me if there were any errors or mistakes in the story :-)


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